Building My Mold... It's Done And On The Bike!

[Bill Havins]

Done with major assembly.  Fine-tuning (shaping edges), mounting turn signals, road testing, and paint left to go.

The photos are really "backlit."  Sorry!

Before:


After:


After - Side View:


I will post “after road testing” photos in a week or so.  After that I will post photos when the painting is done.

Cheers!

Bill

[lazos valk]

Done with major assembly.  Fine-tuning (shaping edges), mounting turn signals, road testing, and paint left to go.

The photos are really "backlit."  Sorry!

Before:


After:


After - Side View:


I will post “after road testing” photos in a week or so.  After that I will post photos when the painting is done.

Cheers!

Bill

Great job sir.  I really envy your patience .
Lazos.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Done with major assembly.  Fine-tuning (shaping edges), mounting turn signals, road testing, and paint left to go.

The photos are really "backlit."  Sorry!

Before:


After:


After - Side View:


I will post “after road testing” photos in a week or so.  After that I will post photos when the painting is done.

Cheers!

Bill

Great job sir.  I really envy your patience .
Lazos.

Agreed, it looks great. No way I'd have the skills or patience.

[bscrive]

That looks way cool Bill.  Now to see how it will cut the wind.   

[ledany]

Bill the unique ! 

[Bill Havins]

Thanks, everyone.  But why didn't Honda do this? 

In my next life I want to come back as a sacred lizard that finds its way into Honda Powersports R&D department.  Every time I hear them fail to "think outside their box" I'll pee in their tea.

No ill will here. 

Bill

[hubcapsc]

But why didn't Honda do this? put a fairing on their naked Goldwing?

-Mike "fixed it for you  "

[Jopson]

Been following this even though I don't have an 1800, this has been epic! Very well done Sir!!

[Beardo]

I've thoroughly enjoyed his thread too, took me back to my first paying job.

I worked at a fibreglass manufacturer all through high school until it burned down. Note: never put a pail of resin with way too much catalyst next to a barrel of acetone(wasn't me). I take it based on your skills, you probably know that. 

[Moofner]

I've thoroughly enjoyed his thread too, took me back to my first paying job.

I worked at a fibreglass manufacturer all through high school until it burned down. Note: never put a pail of resin with way too much catalyst next to a barrel of acetone(wasn't me). I take it based on your skills, you probably know that. 

Just like you should never put alodine next to Methyl Ethyl Ketone, but some people gotta learn the hard way.
Well done Bill. I've caught up to speed on your thread and it has been an amazing piece of work you've put in. Like a few others, I'm curious to see how it cuts the air.

[goldstar903]

Done with major assembly.  Fine-tuning (shaping edges), mounting turn signals, road testing, and paint left to go.

The photos are really "backlit."  Sorry!

Before:


After:


After - Side View:





I will post “after road testing” photos in a week or so.  After that I will post photos when the painting is done.

Cheers!


 


Bill

Can you say, the Praying Mantis vs. "Bullwinkle" the One-Eyed Moose? 

[Bill Havins]

Okay, then.  So we've raised the "class" of our scooters from "insecta" to "mammalia" (remember your taxonomic classifications?).  I'll take that!  

Bill

[Kidd]

 One-Eyed Moose from outer space , maybe

[specialdose]

       From a member who does not own a 1800 all I can say is WOW. This has been and continues to be an amazing thread to follow. You sir are quite the craftsman. To be continued..........

[Kidd]

Yes, amazing job , Bill !

Why stop there  and maybe  build some saddle bags to go with the fairing

[Bill Havins]

Thanks to all for the kind words!  I'm glad this has been a fun read. 

Kidd, in some thread on the forum (maybe this one) I indicated that I had begun to consider designing/building panniers.  IIRC, I indicated that panniers were for next winter, if at all.  I hate to jinx the project, but I think panniers might be a touch easier to do (compared to the fairing).  But how do I know?

I've been out of town running ethernet lines for one of the kid's rather complicated computer system.  I appreciate the fact that the weather service "scheduled" a cold front for this past Friday night.  Up in the attic at 5:00am on Saturday it was pleasant - by 5:00pm not so much.

I'm finishing the fairing mounts today.  With any luck the first test ride will happen tomorrow!  Here's hoping!

Bill

[Bill Havins]

I made my first test ride with the fairing this morning.  I'd give it a grade of "A-".



If you'll remember, this roadster, and the styling of that era, influenced the direction of my design (I'd love to have a set of wire wheels for my Valkyrie!):



I know, I know.  Everyone's kid is the cutest and the greatest.  So I try to be very conservative with "grades" and "scores," especially when they are for my projects.  So please do take all of this with a grain of salt.

I left the "Caution" tag on the windshield when I went on the test ride (if you zoom in you will see it at the top middle of the windshield).  I thought the tag would be a good indication of the level of physical vibration of the windshield - if I can read it it ain't moving much at all.

So I took off on a familiar route that includes highway speeds, "corrugations" in the pavement in spots, and fast sweepers as well as tighter highway-speed curves.  What a hoot!  This was a totally different riding experience compared to my handlebar-mounted windshield.

I experienced a bit of air coming up through my riding coat sleeves and onto my chest.  It wasn't a problem - it was welcome cooling  It caused me to question if there is a need for a vent in the fairing.  I don't think there is.  When I stopped at intersections I was surprised by the heat that came off of the engine/radiators.  Wow!  But as soon as I started moving again the air coming up my sleeves dissipated the heat.  How interesting.

The wings of the fairing are a little shorter than what one might expect.  On many fairings these wings extend to the ends of the handlebars; I didn't make mine that long - they stop about 40mm (1.5 inches) short of the ends of the handlebars.  Purely a style thing.  But I think it was part of the reason for the air up my sleeves and onto my chest - and it was welcome.

As I rode I could feel air hitting the top of my helmet at 45 MPH and higher - it helped me sense how fast I was going but did not cause buffetting at all.  Even at 80 MPH my vision stayed clear (no head buffetting).  And at 80 I could still read the small print on the Caution tag - no blurring/vibration.  Neat!

With my handlebar-mounted windshield there is this "boiling swirling" mass of air that leads to head buffeting.  It doesn't seem to come from one place - it seems to come from all over and is absolutely uncontrolled.  With my fairing the airflow seemed to be well-controlled.  I felt that air coming up my sleeves and the air hitting the top of my helmet - that was all.  Wow!  It wasn't quite like being in a "bubble of quiet," but it got pretty close.  It made riding the Valkyrie a very different, and very pleasing experience.

As an example of what the fairing did, I found things to be so much more quiet that I kept trying to find "one more gear" when I was in 5th.  I would look down and realize I was doing 80 and then think, "What a dope!  There isn't another gear - you're already going fast enough.  It's just a whole lot quieter."

Now, why an A- and not an A or A+?  I think I need to tilt the fairing forward just a scooch to see if I can reduce the air hitting the top of my helmet just a tad more.  I want enough to help my helmet vents work, but not so much that it has a consistent chance to be more than slightly noticeable (right now it may be a bit more than I want).  I just want to try it to see what happens.

And I need to test the fairing with us riding two-up.  If things are good then, I'll give it an A.

Five months of work that paid off!

Bill

[ledany]

A- Bill ?

Remember what Samuel Beckett quoted (The world and the trousers) :

“God damn you to hell, Sir, no, it's indecent, there are limits! In six days, do you hear me, six days, God made the world. Yes Sir, no less Sir, the WORLD! And you are not bloody well capable of making me a pair of trousers in three months!'
'But my dear Sir, my dear Sir, look at the world and look at my TROUSERS!”

And damn, your bike is really unique ! 

[Bill Havins]

Thanks, Ledany!  You are a scholar and a gentleman (and you have a sense of humor, too).

Bill

[Bill Havins]

More impressions.  I had to go to the auto paint store (Satin Black for the back of the fairing) and hardware store (a sack full of 6mm self-locking nuts).  So I took the long route.  I paid attention to the air at city speeds (30 to 45 MPH).

I rode comfortably with my face shield in the up position (Arai Signet-Q for my dinosaur-shaped noggin).  A bit of air hit me in the face and was very comfortable.  It was a "why bother" situation deciding whether to lower the face shield.  Great.

That "air-to-the-arms-and-chest" was there in town.  It was not a problem - just a reminder I was on a motorcycle.  Unfortunately I can't remember if I experienced the same on my Moto Guzzis (SP, SPII, and EV with a Swanee Fairing) - those are my benchmarks for excellent wind protection.  As above, my impression is that some of this air is due to the length of the "wings."  Obviously the accommodations for the radiator cowls in the shape of the wings adds to it.  This air seems to be quasi-unidirectional and acts as if it is "controlled."  It seems well-managed rather than being a boiling swirling "frustration."  Okay, then.

EDIT:  The "quiet" of the fairing and riding with my face shield up caused me to hear mechanical noises of the engine that I have not paid attention to before.  Not a bad thing, just different.

I think I'll take the "A-" down to a "B+" for now, but the "test" isn't over yet.  I think we need to schedule a "two-up" weekend as a "final exam."  In the meantime I'll be doing finishing touches to the mounting hardware.

Cheers!

Bill

[Jess from VA]

Bill, it seems to me, from looking at your pics and build, that to safely clear the radiator pods with turned handlebars, you cannot help ending up with a fairing that is not full coverage in the classic sense of a fairing (air management-wise).  It is what it is.  It's certainly great work nonetheless.   

[sleepngbear]

Outstanding.

That is all.

[Bill Havins]

[snip]....  It is what it is. ....[snip]

Jess.  You're exactly right.

I'm really excited about the difference this fairing has made.  It will never function like the "best-of-class" full coverage fairings.  But I think I have it pretty close.

Bill

[sleepngbear]

[snip]....  It is what it is. ....[snip]

Jess.  You're exactly right.

I'm really excited about the difference this fairing has made.  It will never function like the "best-of-class" full coverage fairings.  But I think I have it pretty close.

Bill

But some of those 'best-of-class' setups create a near total bubble behind them, taking away a lot of the experience that we ride bikes for. Sounds to me like you've just about struck a perfect balance between wind-blast protection and enough fresh air to stay comfortable. And it looks killer on the bike to boot. 

[bscrive]

Great write up Bill.  I am glad it has worked out as good as it did.  I was worried that there might be a lot of wind coming in between the pods and the fairing, but it looks like there isn't much to speak of.

Great work.   

[Bill Havins]

[snip]....I was worried that there might be a lot of wind coming in between the pods and the fairing, but it looks like there isn't much to speak of.....[snip]

Yes, Brian, there is air/wind coming through.  But it seems to be "managed" and "comfortable."

Yesterday as I prepared for the first test ride I was worried, too.  I began to understand why aircraft manufacturers use "test pilots" - they just have to fly the planes.  They don't have months of thought and work invested in the planes; things that lead to anxiety that might distract them from the task of getting the plane into the air and keeping it there.  I was pleased with my initial observations.  Now that my anxiety has reduced I can begin collecting "objective" data that will help me optimize this thing.

Or not.  I might just complete the body work, paint it, and finish breaking in my Valkyrie.  

I went to my Honda dealer this morning.  They are all aware that I have been building the fairing, but I had not been by there since I started.  The parts manager is a geek like me; he is active in drag racing and is always interested in my "crazy projects."  As we were standing looking at the fairing he said, "That has a European look to it."  Then he paused and said, "Kinda' reminds me of a scooter fairing."

I started laughing because the "scooter fairing" observation has been in the back of my mind for a long time.  A scooter with a 1.8 liter engine.  Now that's commuting with attitude and authority.

As we visited he told me about the new motorcycles that are on the way.  There's talk of a new Yamaha (Star) touring bike with a 1900 V-Twin engine.  Yawn....

And the active Honda rumor is of a new Goldwing design using something other than a pneumatic fork front end.  Then he said, "But I think you've got just the right bike for you.  No electronic farkles.  Just a lighter weight Goldwing powertrain and now you have wind protection.  You've almost got it there."

I'll take that.

Bill

[bscrive]

And the active Honda rumor is of a new Goldwing design using something other than a pneumatic fork front end.  

I wonder if that is the three wheeled Neo Wing?  That would be way cool to ride.

[Bill Havins]

I've decided to go with the fairing just the way it is for a couple of weeks.  I'll continue to clean up the body work/brackets at night (it's easily removed) and will eventually paint it front and back.  I think now it is important to put a bunch of miles on it.  So far I am very impressed.

Bill

[Bill Havins]

Today was a good test.  It was windy.  Steady winds from the southeast at 21 MPH, gusting to 31.  Must be West Texas.

The fairing made riding easy.  Leaving my part time gig I found myself doing 70+ in a 55 MPH speed zone before I even realized what had happened.  I felt the wind, but it was more on my elbows and the top of my helmet.  Side winds did not affect the fairing at all; no "sail effect."

It's a keeper.

Bill

[Bill Havins]

Another West Texas test today.  Wind steady at nearly 20 MPH, gusting to near 30.  Temperature of 99°.  Straight into the wind things were okay.  I knew it was windy, but it wasn't bothersome, even when in the middle lane of three lanes of traffic (going the same way - don't want to get thrown off balance there).

In quartering and side winds things were fine - just riding in the wind on a motorcycle, at highway speeds.

It didn't seem hot at all while I was underway (wearing my armored riding jacket).  But when I had to stop I knew it was a "touch warm out there."  West Texas in the summer.

The fairing is a keeper.  And so is the Valkyrie.

Bill

[Bill Havins]

(I hope everyone can see the humor in the following post.  Sometimes "one-off" kinds of things get a bit expensive.  I'm okay with that.  Well, so long as I don't do it too often.)

"Holy color cost, Batman!"

So I went to my automotive paint supplier to get paint for the fairing.  I carried in one of the lids from my Corbin panniers to do the color matching.  The lady found a flat-enough spot and set the color-matching-camera to work.

She looked at me after a few minutes on the computer and asked, "Color and Clear Coat?"

I asked, "What do you recommend?"

She replied, "Color and Clear."

I said, "Okay.  Let's do it.  And give me a little extra of the color in case I need a 'do-over'."

She said, "Is $157.03 okay?"

I began to feel really uneasy.  I felt this buzzing, pounding in my left arm.  I was afraid I was having a heart attack.  Then I realized it was just my Apple Watch alarm going off; it was a reminder I had set to "go buy paint."  Sheezzzzz...  More like I was buying the whole paint store!

$84.78 for a quart of base coat!  But it wasn't the "cheap stuff" she was quoting.  This was Cromax.

"Okay," I said.  I was also getting quarts of Clear Coat, Reducer, and a small can of activator.

"Oh well," I thought to myself.  "Maybe I can repaint Judy's garden tiller, too.  It's looking kinda' long in the tooth.  She'd like that."

Bill

[bscrive]

Bill,

Just be glad that you were not buying the maroon colour.  Red is usually a lot more.   


Brian

[Bill Havins]

Today I am doing all of the prep work before painting.  It's going to end up taking about three days to get it all done.  Why?  I have to make-up some "putty" using my fiberglass resin; the resin will require an "overnight" cure, which puts me into July 4.  And I have to work 4 hours at my job that day (that's "double-time wages").  That will more than pay for the paint I bought.  Okay; I'll take that.

I have everything stripped off of the fairing.  Handling it it felt really light - it weighs less than 6 pounds with everything removed.    I think this thing, with headlight and windshield, will weigh less than a stock headlight setup (with brackets and plastic parts) combined with a Honda touring windshield (with brackets, etc.).  Very nice.

I am moving the turn signals slightly lower and further back in their respective "scoops."  That should look better.

Once the painting is all done I'll post photos.  I'll also post photos of the lights when turned on.  The "look" of the headlight is very interesting.  When the high beam is on the light emitters of the headlight form an "abstract" bird-in-flight pattern.  It's really pretty fun.

Bill

[ledany]

When the high beam is on the light emitters of the headlight form an "abstract" bird-in-flight pattern.  It's really pretty fun.
Bill

I knew it ! A batbike ! 

[Bill Havins]

Oh my!  I hadn't even gone there, Ledany.  But it is jet black....

Bat bike.  Hmmmm....

Nope, Roadster!  

[Bill Havins]

Just a little update....This thread will soon come to an end be finished!

Early this morning I completed all of the surface shaping and sanding I was willing to do.  The changes are subtle.  The turn signals have been lowered about 12 mm.  They help the fairing look a bit more like it might be a "factory" item, or so says my friend who owns an industrial/commercial paint store.  (He's an "iron butt" kind of guy - trades bikes yearly - says he's going to do an Iron Butt on his 650 something-or-other this fall "just to do it."  Okay, then.)

Anyway.  I hauled out my LVLP spray gun, covered things in the garage, and set about spraying three coats of primer on the front and the back of the fairing.  About mid-afternoon the temperature shot up 10° in about 20 minutes.  I wasn't paying any attention; I was miserable already.  As I shot the third coat of primer on the front it began to dry before it hit the fiberglass, leaving a "sandy-looking" finish.  Luckily it sanded right down with 320 grit (after I let it dry for 30 minutes - in the heat!).

A few minutes ago I sprayed two coats of semi-gloss black on the back of the fairing.  Wow!  If you ever need a rattle-can of black semi-gloss go to an automotive paint store and get Cromax A-5099S Bumper and Trim Satin Black.  Impressive!  It is ready to re-coat in 3 minutes and is ready to use in 5 minutes (after the second coat).  Really easy to spray, too.

I hope to get up early tomorrow and lightly sand the front of the fairing with 400 through 600 grit.  Then I'll spray on two coats of black base coat followed by three coats of a catalyzed clear coat.  Then I'll let it dry the rest of the day.

Monday I hope to put it all together and mount it on my Valkyrie.  Hard to believe.  An "epic project" (as others have called it) coming to its conclusion.  How fun!

Photos as soon as I can.

Bill

[Bill Havins]

It's done!  And what a strange experience!

I don't claim to be a painter.  I just don't see well enough to feel confident that I am getting it done well.  I have monocular vision (lost one eye to a failed surgery many years ago) and have scotomae ("holes") in my remaining retina and a prosthetic lens in that "good eye."  It takes two eyes to have "binocular parallax" which is so helpful in trying to judge distance.  So, it's cursed hard for me to "focus" on something like "paint build" as I try to spray a complicated surface.  What I have to do is get a sense of where my hand is in relation to the surface and then try to keep my hand at the same distance as I move the spray gun.  Spray painting gets pretty frustrating for me so I avoid it at all costs.  But, to finish the fairing I had to do it.

This morning, after I settled my nerves.  I put on two base coats of black (and it is really black!).  I got a bit of orange peel in the coats but decided, "What the heck!  It's a blind guy's paint job."

After lunch I sprayed on three coats of clear.  The clear I bought is a polyurethane.  I have never shot a base coat/clear combination with a spray gun.  What a surprise!



Right-click on the image and choose to open it in a new tab.  This will allow you to take a close look at the surface.  As you do so you'll find yourself thinking, "I can't see anything!"  And neither could the camera!  The base coat is so dark, and the clear coat is so reflective, that about all you see is reflection from the overhead lights and a few edges of the fairing.  Amazing!

The "thing" in the middle of the headlight nacelle is a piece of paper I used as masking to protect the semi-gloss finish on the back side of the fairing.  Visually it is just really confusing.

I can't move the fairing until in the morning.  It will be late tomorrow before I can take a photo that will make sense.  What I can say is the clear over the base coat worked very, very well.  Not bad for a skinny little one-eyed guy.  I think we have a paint job!

Until tomorrow....

Bill

[sleepngbear]

Looks awesome. Can't wait to see it mounted and all reassembled!  You should be proud of yourself for an amazing job from start to finish. 

[bscrive]

Bill,
That paint job looks great.  The shine is unbelievable and you should be proud of the job you did.   

[Bill Havins]

I've been out cleaning the garage.  I've tried to take a better photo of the fairing but it just can't be done with it lying horizontal.

Earlier in this thread I think Robert(?) asked what spray gun I intend to use (maybe it was another thread).  Anyway, I described this little LVLP gun (a SprayIt 3300K, IIRC) I had bought.  I must give it a very solid endorsement.  If you study its spray pattern versus the material you are spraying you can adjust this scooter to do a very nice job.  To do this job (base coat and clear) I used a 1.5mm tip.  I had to turn the air pressure up a bit to get the clear to atomize well; once I did that the gun performed well.

On the primer I used a 1.7mm tip.  About the same settings as I later used for the base coat.

I'm sure the folks at the paint store wanted to help as much as they could without doing it for me.  Their recommendations of a lacquer high build primer and a lacquer base coat really worked well.  And the polyurethane clear (you will see tomorrow when I get a better photo) was amazing.  They really saved my bacon.

Okie-dokie fine.  Tomorrow I'll do a little assembly and post images of the final results.  Then we're going riding, a lot!

Bill